Hadn't thought of the importance of wireless technology when I saw the new Palm charging device demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show.

But, imagine how much you could reduce costs if you didn't have a different charger for each of your devices, be it a phone, MP3, organizer, portable or whatever.

OK, you need a built-in receiver in order to capture the magnetic waves and charge up your system and we need a few more technology tweeks to iron out the remaining efficiency problems.

But, you wouldn't need a drawer in order to store all those heavy sockets with their trailing wires. You wouldn't need an adapter plug either in order to continue charging your systems when you travel, nor have to think of excess baggage charges because of the additional weight in your suitcase.

For once, provided we don't get into the battle of supremacy over technology, we can actually save money and increase efficiency. It's "simply" a case of creating a truly worldwide standard that will cross frontiers and iron out technical barriers to trade and commerce.